Ski Blog

The experts at Iglu Ski have come together to offer you the ultimate guide to St Anton – one of the Alps’ snowiest resorts. Think Monaco Grand Prix blended with the Munich Beer Festival amongst skiing that rivals Val d’Isere.

St Anton is home to 380km of pistes, over 200km of off-piste and is served by more than 94 state-of-the-art lifts. Restaurants, bars and clubs are amongst some of the best in the Alps. Iglu Ski offers ski holidays to nearly 50 ski chalets in St Anton suitable for a range of group sizes. View our favourite St Anton chalets here.

It was tough to narrow down our favourites, but here are just some of our recommendations and top tips to make the most of your trip to St Anton.

Our favourite ski runs

St Anton has a well-deserved reputation for its exciting and varied runs. Below are some of our favourites on the Alberg Mountain.

On-piste

Schindler

Rendl

Lech & Zurs

Galzig

Kapall

For the more hard-core amongst you, some of the best runs can be found off-piste. Things are a little quieter around Sonnenkopf where the views are magnificent. We recommend heading out with a guide so they can show you their hidden gems.

Off-piste

Our favourite bars

The bars in St Anton are some of the craziest in the Alps with classic Austrian après madness, you’ll find beer steins galore accompanied by the occasional lederhosen.

Moosewirt – with daily après from 3.30pm to 8pm, Moosewirt is one of the best party places on Alberg Mountain, with dancing on tables, a huge disco ball and Jaeger bombs aplenty

Krazy Kangaruh – the original home of après ski in St Anton hosts parties from dawn til dusk

Fang House – the fun house in Nasserein with lots of charm and outdoor seating to soak up the sun

Bar Cuba – a great sports bar and favourite of seasonaires, home to foosball and a large population of goggle tans

Scotty’s Bar & Pizzeria – for cheap beer and good pizza, to be enjoyed a little later on in the evening

Our favourite clubs

Après the après ski, there are two main places to party until 3am. The Kandahar Bar hosts some fantastic live music and DJs from all over the world; Piccadilly is also a popular go-to for late night fun.

Our favourite restaurants

Hospiz Alm – gourmet fine dining in St Christoph for a blow-out meal after a long day on the slopes. There is even a slide to the bathroom to avoid snow-boot-related incidents!

Pizzeria Pomodoro – for a lively atmosphere, world famous lasagne and the best pizza on the Alberg Mountain

Bobos – Mexican bar and restaurant open daily from 5pm until 3am – good food and a great selection of cocktails

Robi’s Rodel-Stall – to relax in front of an open fire at the end of the toboggan run, enjoy cheese fondue, their notorious spare ribs and a warm atmosphere

Museum – for something a little different. The Museum is located just off the blue Galzig piste, a museum by day and candlelit gastronomic delight by night; it was also used as the exterior filming location for the chalet in British comedy, Chalet Girl.

We recommend you visit…

St Anton in February for the best skiing, but we recommend a March trip for the best après. As always, the weather can be unpredictable so with that in mind – we’d say St Anton is a great destination all year round.

More reasons to love St Anton

Short transfer time from airport – approximately an hour

Short flight from London – around one and a half hours

In it for more than just skiing? St Anton offers some great facilities:

Toboggan run – a popular activity for all and free to use, the course runs from Gampen to the Rodelstall and takes around 15 minutes to complete with a vertical elevation of 1,670 feet. Toboggans are available to rent at all good sports shops – they cost around 9 euros.

There’s a broad range of accommodation in St Anton, from the lavish to the on-budget, there is something for everyone.

Some final advice…

St Anton is a great fit for intermediate to advanced skiers; pistes classified as blues here would generally be red in other resorts. With that said – there are some great beginner slopes in Nasserein and Gampen.

It’s worth a ski over to Lech where you’ll find some great off-piste skiing. Under the bridge towards Stuben, the piste runs parallel to cars driving down the road – overtake one and take a selfie. The look on their face is a picture!

Sonnenkopf is a bus away but definitely worth the journey to escape the crowds

Don’t be put off by staying in Nasserein, there’s great access to the skiing and it’s only a flat 10 minute walk to the centre of town, plus regular buses

Innsbruck and Zurich are nearby if you wanted to take a city break at the same time – both transferable by train if you wanted to avoid coach transfers

A seven day lift pass is €240 for adults and €142 for children, half day and beginner passes are also available

I recently recovered from my first ever ski holiday with the Iglu Ski team in Tignes, France. I had such a great time that I am definitely hooked and can’t wait to go again next year.

I learnt so much along the way, I thought I would share my new-found knowledge, from one non-skier to the next.

1. On sun cream & the goggle tan that divides opinion

When you’re up in the mountains, you’re at a very high altitude and much closer to the sun. This means whether the sky is blue or grey, you are still being exposed to high intensity UV rays; so whilst you think you may not be affected, there might just be an unsuspected goggle tan creeping up on you.

Try to wear Factor 50+ on whatever skin is exposed. It might also be a good idea to get a lip balm with an SPF. Bring moisturiser and after sun too – just in case you only realise before it’s too late!

2. Onesies, meggings, glitter…everything goes

When you face such weather and temperature extremes, it’s difficult to know what to pack. I would recommend anything and everything, here, we have a breakdown of essentials; but what people don’t tell you is – the wackier the better.

3. Snow-ploughing is the one (sorry boarders)

To those that plan to snowboard – this is irrelevant, but to the skiers amongst you – snow ploughing will become a way of life. For some, parallel skiing may come naturally, but once you’ve got this move down, the rest of your week is set.

4. Ski boots are not.

Ski boots are not the most comfortable footwear. Non-skiers might be familiar with the cramp feeling you get from ice-skating boots – imagine this, and then imagine wearing and dancing it out in these all day. Take plenty of comfortable ski-socks with you – they’re worth the investment!

5. The importance of lessons

Allow yourself at least 3 half days for ski lessons. This is enough time to learn the basics and build your confidence; private lessons and group lessons both have their benefits – it depends what sort of holiday you are looking for.

6. It’s okay to fall

This means you have been working hard, plus, an element of fearlessness goes a long way. Falling over is all part of a beginner skier’s day’s fun so don’t let it knock your confidence.

7. And do you know what’s not lame? Safety.

8. Don’t forget your lift pass £££

When considering your holiday costs, don’t forget to account for your lift pass hire. Once you arrive in resort you still need to get up the mountain to learn how to ski down. For beginners, you may not need a full 6 day hire; 3-5 may suffice.

Beginners lifts are available in most resorts and these are often free – reference your local piste map or resort representative. If you are taking lessons, your instructor will take you through the basics.

If not included in your holiday package, you can often buy a pass by day or half day – depending on your mood. Pre-holiday, your travel agent can help you arrange this. You can also purchase this anywhere in resort or from your chalet representative. Recommended ski resorts for beginners.

9. But don’t sit down on the button lift!

Gently rest your bottom on the button lift as it gently pulls you along; sit down too comfortably and it might take you back into the air!

10. You can travel on foot too

In your first few days, you might not want to go for a full day’s skiing. Why not take a pedestrian pass and enjoy the piste on foot?

11. Brush up on your navigation skills

Once lessons are over, it’s down to you to navigate your way around the slopes. I spent the first half of my week thinking everywhere looked the same, a piste map will help keep you on the right track. Normally, the difficulty of the slopes is signposted very clearly.

Remember: Green, Blue, Red, Black

12. Après après après

It’s not all about skiing or boarding, it’s about creating memories with your friends and family…or potentially losing them due to excess apres. There are hundreds of bars on the slopes and in resort for you to enjoy. With DJs, live music, dancing and great food to suit all tastes. Best ski resorts for apres ski.

13. The Chalet staff are your friends

More often than not and depending on which chalet or hotel you are staying in, you will be spending a lot of time with the same chalet staff throughout your stay. They will be with you at breakfast, dinner and afternoon tea. Look after them and they’ll look after you – a sure guarantee that there won’t be an empty wine glass in sight at dinner.

14. …& they need a day off too

During a week’s stay in the average chalet, there will be one day of rest for the kitchen and chalet staff. You will still get your usual continental breakfast but this means no cooked meals. Take advantage of this day to go out and experience some traditional local food – think fondue, tartiflette, steak amongst anything else you might not expect to see on the menu.

15. Some terms that you may need to know

‘Powder day ‘– that morning when you wake up to see there has been a fresh snowfall overnight – no slush or ice for you to snow plough over!

‘Bluebird’ – blue skies and white snow, this makes for ideal skiing conditions and perfect for a little après on the piste.

‘White-out’ – when the sky is white it blends in with the snow making it difficult to see lumps and bumps in your way. Go cautiously under these conditions.

‘Jaeger Milk’ – yes, you heard. This is a creative take on the well-known Jager bomb, but instead we substitute Red Bull for milk – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, it’s delicious, we promise.

‘The Park’ –isn’t grassy green or home to any swings – this is a skate park on snow, probably best admired rather than played on for beginner skiers.

Where did you manage to ski or snowboard this year? Did you go to a French favourite, maybe Tignes, Les Arcs or 3 Valleys? Or did you venture to Austria in search of the best après? Or do you crave powder and ventured off to Canada, Japan or a secret gem? Hundreds of thousands of UK holiday makers head to the slopes each winter, but what resorts are the most popular? We have looked at our customers this season to find out.

Did you know we work with over 50 ski tour operators so we can offer ski deals in over 200 ski resorts in 16 different countries? This huge selection of holidays gives us the top variety of ski deals anywhere so we can find our customers the perfect getaway.

With so many ski holidays to offer we send customers to a tremendous range of ski properties and resorts all over the world. Being able to do this gives us a brilliant insight to the UK market’s favourite ski destinations. We have looked at where you have chosen to ski and snowboard this winter and put together the top 10 ski resorts of this ski season.

Val Thorens, France

10. Courchevel

This exclusive resort in the 3 Valleys is a firm favourite with customers with the 600km of pistes on its doorstep, the beautiful alpine village and the stunning mountain restaurants. There may be seven Michelin-starred restaurants and two 6-star hotels in resort, but there is still accommodation for all budgets, including apartments and chalet hotels.

Alpe d’Huez has so much to offer; 250 km of varied pistes, from the green areas surrounding the resort to the longest black run in Europe; incredible bars to keep you partying from après through to dawn; so many non-ski activities to do, you don’t even have to think about skiing (ermmm...) and super high peaks to give you access to great snow throughout the season.

This massive resort is made up of 10 ski villages, all offering a colossal range of accommodations and amenities. From the abundance of apartments in Belle Plagne, to the ski in-ski out hotels across the resort to family ski chalets with onsite crèche facilities, La Plagne has something for everyone.

A popular option if you are looking to go on a ski holiday at the start or end of the season. With skiing up to 3600km it is a snow sure resort that is even open to skiers and snowboarders in the summer months. Les Deux Alpes has an extensive ski area, vibrant après scene and a range of budget priced properties making it a top option for groups.

The village of Val Thorens was purposely built to give guests the best access to the slopes making this an ideal location if you love hitting mountain first thing in the morning. Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe, with the village sitting at 2300m and the pistes peaking at 3200m and is illustrious for its excellent snow conditions.

The only ’non-mover’ in the top 10. Les Arcs is an all-round resort which is popular year after year with families, groups and couples alike. The variety of the ski areas and the villages appeals to beginners on their first ski holiday, and even offers enough to keep a seasoned skier or snowboarder entertained all week.

Positioned perfectly in the heart of the largest ski area in the world, Meribel is in an ideal location to make the most of this renowned region in France. The tree lined runs and chocolate box style village charm make it one of the prettiest ski resorts in France.

The legendary après of St Anton draws in the crowds year after year and is consistently our top selling Austrian ski destination. Ski holidays in Austria have been dramatically popular this season; we have seen huge jumps in numbers year on year to some of the popular Austrian resorts, including Mayrhofen, Lech and Ischgl.

Last year’s champion has been knocked off the high spot by its ski neighbour. The Espace Killy ski area is a favourite with our customers and ski team every season. The first rate ski area provides a large variety of terrain for all abilities and a snow-sure glacier making it one of the most attractive destinations for a ski holiday.

With the largest share of customers choosing Tignes as their ski holiday destination this year, you have made this outstanding resort the top ski resort in winter 2014/15. With the poor start to the ski season, Tignes would have been a safe option because of the high altitude skiing with pistes up to 3400m on the Grande Motte glacier. With its fantastic snow record it is no wonder why thousands flock to Tignes year after year.

Skiing in March and April is our favourite time of the ski season. Days get longer and temperatures start to warm up so you can relish in the brilliant ski conditions in the morning then hit the bars in the afternoon and soak up après in the sun on a mountain top terrace.

End of season skiing is a popular option for skiers and snowboarders as there is more availability in favoured accommodations and families can enjoy a cheaper ski holiday in the Easter break compared to the high prices at Christmas and half term. Here are our top 5 reasons why we love spring skiing:

1. The Sunshine

There’s nothing better than carving up the mountain with the sun beating down on your back. You don’t have to cart around lots of layers, you can sunbathe in between ski runs and you’ll have that special code worn only by fellow skiers and boarders – a cracking goggle tan so that everyone knows you’ve just returned fresh from the slopes.

2. Longer Days

More sunshine = longer days = lifts are open longer = more time out in the snow! Do we need to say any more?

3. It’s cheaper

As the slopes get emptier, the prices get cheaper, meaning that a last minute ski holiday is a great way to save the pennies. You'll have a bigger choice of accommodation as chalets and ski in - ski out accommodation won't sell out quite so fast. If you’re looking to squeeze in your second holiday of the season without using up all of your budget, then now’s the time.

If you don't have the time to enjoy a full week on the slopes, there are a number of Weekend Ski Breaks available so you can squueze in that last ski adventure of the season.

4. The slopes are empty

As the spring months draw nearer, the slopes become quieter and quieter. Airport transfers become much smoother and faster and there are much smaller queues for chairlifts, lunch stops and bars. You’ll have more time to enjoy the breathtaking mountain views, rather than rushing to be first on the lifts.

You'll find that there's much more space on the pistes and if you are lucky enough to enjoy a late season powder day, you’ll be able to ski more fresh laps.

Spring is also a great time to bring along the kids and those who are just learning so they can focus more on their riding and less on trying to dodge others!

5. End of season parties

Experience some top après as resort bars aim to drink dry the last of their stock, ready to close down for the summer. You’ll find plenty of closing celebrations at just about every resort with live music, BBQ’s and of course, snow – a perfect combination!

The end of season also brings along a lot of festivals, such as Snowbombing, Snowboxx and Zermatt Unplugged.

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